Reviewers have entirely predictable response to 1619 Project on Hulu

Photo by Tech Daily on Unsplash

When the New York Times launched its revisionist history effort known as the 1619 Project, they had to expect controversy. After all, when you’re basically trying to claim the nation was created not on a foundation of liberty, even if flawed in its execution, but one of racism and slavery, you’re bound to ruffle some feathers.

And a lot of people who might be sympathetic to the overall social justice effort were still upset at the revisionism.

But a lot of other people on the left thought it was just swell. As a result, the effort and its creator, Nikole Hannah-Jones, were showered with accolades.

There was also a deal for a series on Hulu, it seems.

Well, the reviews are coming in, and guess what? Folks are less than impressed.

The show, which author and New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones called "the greatest story never told," debuted on Hulu on Jan. 26. 

It was a description that prompted some ridicule online.

"The 1619 Project is a fan fiction history," former Democratic Congressional candidate Barrington Martin II wrote. "Why is it taken seriously?" 

…

While some outlets were effusive in their praise of the show, with Variety calling it an "admirable reframing of our history," other critics were less enthusiastic.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "each episode feels like the summarizing of an essay" from the original "1619 Project," a series of essays published for The New York Times Magazine.

CNN allowed that while at times the show exhibits "a cinematic flair," at other times it plays more "like a more conventional documentary about the Black experience."

And if you can’t win CNN over, you’re well and truly screwed on an effort like this.

The problem with the 1619 Project has never been the discussion of slavery nor the mixed signals our Founding Fathers gave regarding individual liberty. They talked a big game on that front but the fact that slavery was permitted to exist illustrates their failings quite well.

They weren’t perfect and I never believed they were.

However, Hannah-Jones has made her career off of demonizing men who did great things overall, even if they fell drastically short in one area. You’re free to say they should have gone further and abolished slavery in the Constitution. Hell, I’ll agree with you.

It’s another to basically demonize the land of the free because they were imperfect.

It should be remembered just how unfree the rest of the world was at that time. We were a noble experiment that could have fallen flat on its face. That’s not an excuse, just a statement of fact.

Luckily, it didn’t, and the ideas that spawned here and spread out throughout the world changed billions of lives for the better.

The 1619 Project, however, was never more than an effort to fuel American guilt, this idea among the left that we’re the bad guys in every way. The problem is that many are getting tired of this. Self-awareness is wonderful, but this enters the realm of self-delusion.

For critics and even former Democratic candidates for Congress to take issue with this “documentary” is a welcome sign.

Now, if someone will just show this nonsense the door for good.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoy this piece. Please consider a paid subscription if you don’t already have one. You’ll get 15 percent off your first year. That will get you access to posts like this or our paid subscriber exclusives. Or, if you’re not ready for that kind of commitment, you can tip me a buck or two via my Ko-fi page. With times being tough, and having gotten a bit tougher for your humble writer, any and all help would be greatly appreciated.